The present invention relates generally to drinking vessels, and, more particularly, to drinking vessels which provide an exterior surface portion that is virtually free of condensation and to reusable/disposable drinking vessels which provide a sanitary surface for drinking.
There have been many proposals for making various types of drinking containers or vessels, each adapted to satisfy a particular need. For example, there are containers which incorporate disposable liners, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,449, to permit re-use of a permanent container. In other devices, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 973,085, or 3,633,863, or 4,040,535, a coaster or holder arrangement is provided for snugly holding a tumbler and collecting, within the coaster, condensation forming on the tumbler.
Although such structures may prove satisfactory for their particular intended purpose, they fail to provide a drinking vessel with a sanitary disposable insert which conforms to the configuration of a permanent vessel member and provides a thermally insulative barrier as well as a condensation barrier, all in a simple-to-fabricate structure. Furthermore, there is no teaching of a condensation-free stemware piece.
It would appear desirable, therefore, to provide a drinking vessel with disposable inserts which provides a thermally insulative barrier to help maintain the temperature of substances contained therein, to prolong the life of ice cubes when contained therein and, further, to shield the user from any dripping due to condensation forming on the vessel.
More importantly, as there is currently great concern for the transmission of various bacteria and infectious viruses and germs (particularly herpes simplex which can be readily transmitted through improperly sterilized drinking containers at restaurants, bars and other publically accessible establishments), there is a growing need for an attractive drinking vessel which can be used repeatedly yet assure germ-free drinking surfaces. Thorough sterilization requires expensive and well maintained machinery, as well as the time and effort of employees in collecting used glasses, stacking them for sterilization, operating the machinery and removing them after sterilization. It is, therefore, desirable to provide not only a condensation-free disposable drinking vessel but also one which provides protection against the transmission of infectious germs, viruses, bacteria and the like, all in an attractive and easy to make structure.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved drinking vessel having exterior surface portions essentially free of condensation.
It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved drinking vessel having condensation-free exterior surface portions and a thermally insulative barrier for helping diminish heat loss or gain in any substance contained by the vessel. In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a re-usable drinking vessel of the foregoing type that permits re-use of a permanent drinking vessel member without requiring sterilization of the permanent member. It is a further object of the invention to provide a drinking vessel of the foregoing type which is easy to fabricate and yet forms an attractive drinking container.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved stemware structure which provides an essentially condensation-free exterior surface for handling, yet permits an elegant design to be incorporated in the stemware. It is another object of the invention to provide, in whole or in part, a disposable stemware structure which has an essentially condensation-free surface.
The foregoing specific objects and advantages of the invention are illustrative of those which can be achieved by the present invention and are not intended to exhaust the possible advantages which can be attained. Thus, these and other objects and advantages of the invention can be learned by practice with the invention as embodied herein or as modified in view of variations which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention resides in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.